Thomas Dausgaard’s reading of Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony is Wagner’s “Apotheosis of the dance” made manifest. This is a performance of boundless energy and irresistible spirit in the manner of Toscanini’s NBC Symphony recording (though without quite his relentless, single-minded drive). From the first chord, which sounds with startling precision and decisiveness (the polar opposite of Abbado) the music flows impulsively under Dausgaard’s purposeful phrasing and tempos. The use of the new Jonathan del Mar scores, as well as a smaller ensemble, makes for a far less robust and luxurious sound than we get from the recently reissued Vienna Philharmonic under Kubelik, but the Swedish Chamber Orchestra’s lean and sinewy textures fill out nicely in proper balance. The horns, so important in this music, are not so forward as they are in recordings by Wand, Bernstein, and Barenboim (and this tells at the end of the first movement), but you do hear them play entire tunes (including the first movement’s main theme) when they get them, not just “highlights”, as with the Berlin Philharmonic under Karajan or Abbado.
Dausgaard also has some interesting things to say about Beethoven’s score, as illustrated by his intelligent and idiosyncratic phrasing of the Allegretto’s insistent rhythm. The scherzo bounces merrily, with the brass and drums fierce and proud in the trio. Dausgaard’s finale is quite brisk, but he shows a more convincing way to render it than fellow del Mar adherent Abbado, with his too-frantic tempos and blurred, faceless articulation. By emphasizing rhythm and accents, Dausgaard creates genuine and lasting excitement–a tour de force of a performance.
The coupling provides an opportunity to hear Beethoven in his rare theatrical mode, in the form of the complete incidental music to Goethe’s Egmont. There are nine selections in all, including the famous overture and two songs for Clärchen fetchingly sung by Henriette Bond-Hansen. Assorted interludes, a melodrama (depicting Clärchen’s death), and a finale incorporating music from the overture fill out the piece. As with the symphony, this consistently interesting music receives powerful performances from Dausgaard and his orchestra. Simax’s close recording reveals much detail but could use a bit more sense of space around the players. Even in these days of Beethoven saturation, this release demands acquisition.
